Study Finds Age a Big Factor in Response to Smoke Alarms

A new study has found that the effectiveness of audible smoke alarms for children increases with a low frequency tone and voice used in the alarm, and that a child’s age also significantly factors into the response time. The study, “Age-Dependent Responsiveness to Smoke Alarm Signals Among Children,” which will be published in the May 2022 issue of Pediatrics (published online April 25), notes that it has been established that children are more difficult to awaken from sleep than adults. The study found that among 12-year-olds, only 56.3% escaped within one minute (and 67.6% within two minutes) when the alarm had a high-frequency tone. However, an alarm using a voice and a low frequency tone was more than 96% effective at awakening and prompting escape within one minute among children 9 years and older. The study population consisted of 540 children ages 5-12 years old, who were enrolled in three previous studies on smoke alarms for children, and age had a statistically significant effect on the proportion who awakened for each of the four alarm types that were used in the study. A fire escape plan that includes adult rescue of children is strongly recommended; the authors urge.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.